W
Wanker
Guest
https://www.thestar.com/living/arti...ird-best-food-in-toronto-by-zagat-survey?bn=1
One of Toronto’s favourite indie burger joints has muscled its way to third place on the crowd-sourced Zagat Survey.
The Burger’s Priest has been awarded third best food in Toronto after upscale compatriots Scaramouche and Chiado/Senhor Antonio Tapas and Wine Bar.
“I’m blown away to be honest,” says owner Shant Mardirosian. “I never thought it would reach this level.”
He opened his “classic American cheeseburger” joint in a minuscule space at Queen St. E. and Coxwell Ave. in June 2010 to instant raves. With just four stools, it’s essentially a takeout shop where people flock for griddle-cooked burgers made from premium beef that’s ground on site several times a day. A second, larger Burger’s Priest with 14 stools opened in January on Yonge St. north of Lawrence Ave.
Zagat’s 2012 Toronto Restaurant Survey was released online Wednesday and covers 315 restaurants as voted on by 2,266 local diners. Ratings and reviews are at zagat.com and Zagat’s mobile app.
Started as a hobby in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat, Zagat Survey is now the world’s leading provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay and play around the world. It revolves around crowd-sourced opinions and is owned by Google.
What’s interesting about the way Zagat analyzes restaurants is that it breaks reviews into four areas.
The Burger’s Priest scored a stunning 28/30 for food but a weak 19/30 for service and a lowball 13/30 for decor. The average cost of dinner per person with a drink (non-alcoholic in this case) and a tip was deemed to be $17, and the burger spot came second in a category called “Best Bang for the Buck.”
A four-ounce cheeseburger costs $5.29, while a generous portion of fries is $3.29.
“Most of the time, people writing (reviews) are holding restaurants up to a single paradigm of greatness,” Tim Zagat said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Obviously food is not decor, decor is not service and service is not cost. The guides are designed for people to make smart decisions for themselves based on their needs.”
He pointed out that someone taking young children out for a child-friendly meal has different needs than college friends on a budget, businesspeople entertaining clients or couples grabbing a bite before a movie.
“I don’t go to the best restaurant in my city two times in a row or I’d be broke and my liver would give out by the end of the week,” said the New York-based Zagat. “Ninety per cent of people want something casual and easy that tastes good.”
It’s a rare restaurant that scores well on multiple fronts.
Scaramouche, the classic French midtown restaurant known for smooth service, coconut cream pie and its city skyline backdrop, placed first for food, second for service and seventh for “most popular.” (Surveyors can rank their favourite restaurants among the places they voted for in the survey.)
The Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group earned seven honours, including four for Auberge du Pommier, two for Canoe and one for Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill.
On the tipping front, Zagat found that the average tip in Toronto is 17.1 per cent. In the United States, where people traditionally tip higher but have lower taxes, the national average is 19.2 per cent based on 40 cities.
Last month, Star restaurant critic Amy Pataki sparked a spirited debate after writing about two Roncesvalles Ave. eateries urging customers to tip 20 per cent, not the customary 15 per cent. Diners were being prompted to tip 20 per cent on their bill when paying with credit and debit cards on handheld terminals.
“I think that’s arrogant,” said Zagat.
Zagat’s top-rated newcomers
Campagnolo, 832 Dundas St. W.
Ici Bistro, 538 Manning Ave.
(Tied) Khao San Road (326 Adelaide St. W.) and Woodlot (293 Palmerston Ave.)
Barque Smokehouse (299 Roncesvalles Ave.)
Zagat’s most popular restaurants
For this category, Zagat surveyors rank their favourite restaurants among the places they voted for.
Spring Rolls (11 locations)
Canoe (66 Wellington St. W.)
Il Fornello (seven locations)
Ruth’s Chris Steak House (two locations)
Asian Legend (six locations)
Auberge du Pommier (4150 Yonge St.)
Scaramouche (1 Benvenuto Place)
North 44 (2537 Yonge St.)
Hard Rock Café (279 Yonge St.)
Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (five locations)
[email protected]
www.twitter.com/thesaucylady
One of Toronto’s favourite indie burger joints has muscled its way to third place on the crowd-sourced Zagat Survey.
The Burger’s Priest has been awarded third best food in Toronto after upscale compatriots Scaramouche and Chiado/Senhor Antonio Tapas and Wine Bar.
“I’m blown away to be honest,” says owner Shant Mardirosian. “I never thought it would reach this level.”
He opened his “classic American cheeseburger” joint in a minuscule space at Queen St. E. and Coxwell Ave. in June 2010 to instant raves. With just four stools, it’s essentially a takeout shop where people flock for griddle-cooked burgers made from premium beef that’s ground on site several times a day. A second, larger Burger’s Priest with 14 stools opened in January on Yonge St. north of Lawrence Ave.
Zagat’s 2012 Toronto Restaurant Survey was released online Wednesday and covers 315 restaurants as voted on by 2,266 local diners. Ratings and reviews are at zagat.com and Zagat’s mobile app.
Started as a hobby in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat, Zagat Survey is now the world’s leading provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay and play around the world. It revolves around crowd-sourced opinions and is owned by Google.
What’s interesting about the way Zagat analyzes restaurants is that it breaks reviews into four areas.
The Burger’s Priest scored a stunning 28/30 for food but a weak 19/30 for service and a lowball 13/30 for decor. The average cost of dinner per person with a drink (non-alcoholic in this case) and a tip was deemed to be $17, and the burger spot came second in a category called “Best Bang for the Buck.”
A four-ounce cheeseburger costs $5.29, while a generous portion of fries is $3.29.
“Most of the time, people writing (reviews) are holding restaurants up to a single paradigm of greatness,” Tim Zagat said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Obviously food is not decor, decor is not service and service is not cost. The guides are designed for people to make smart decisions for themselves based on their needs.”
He pointed out that someone taking young children out for a child-friendly meal has different needs than college friends on a budget, businesspeople entertaining clients or couples grabbing a bite before a movie.
“I don’t go to the best restaurant in my city two times in a row or I’d be broke and my liver would give out by the end of the week,” said the New York-based Zagat. “Ninety per cent of people want something casual and easy that tastes good.”
It’s a rare restaurant that scores well on multiple fronts.
Scaramouche, the classic French midtown restaurant known for smooth service, coconut cream pie and its city skyline backdrop, placed first for food, second for service and seventh for “most popular.” (Surveyors can rank their favourite restaurants among the places they voted for in the survey.)
The Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group earned seven honours, including four for Auberge du Pommier, two for Canoe and one for Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill.
On the tipping front, Zagat found that the average tip in Toronto is 17.1 per cent. In the United States, where people traditionally tip higher but have lower taxes, the national average is 19.2 per cent based on 40 cities.
Last month, Star restaurant critic Amy Pataki sparked a spirited debate after writing about two Roncesvalles Ave. eateries urging customers to tip 20 per cent, not the customary 15 per cent. Diners were being prompted to tip 20 per cent on their bill when paying with credit and debit cards on handheld terminals.
“I think that’s arrogant,” said Zagat.
Zagat’s top-rated newcomers
Campagnolo, 832 Dundas St. W.
Ici Bistro, 538 Manning Ave.
(Tied) Khao San Road (326 Adelaide St. W.) and Woodlot (293 Palmerston Ave.)
Barque Smokehouse (299 Roncesvalles Ave.)
Zagat’s most popular restaurants
For this category, Zagat surveyors rank their favourite restaurants among the places they voted for.
Spring Rolls (11 locations)
Canoe (66 Wellington St. W.)
Il Fornello (seven locations)
Ruth’s Chris Steak House (two locations)
Asian Legend (six locations)
Auberge du Pommier (4150 Yonge St.)
Scaramouche (1 Benvenuto Place)
North 44 (2537 Yonge St.)
Hard Rock Café (279 Yonge St.)
Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (five locations)
[email protected]
www.twitter.com/thesaucylady
